First Call has been tracking child and family poverty rates in BC for two full decades. Our first provincial report card containing data for 1996 showed that one in five BC children were poor. It is profoundly disappointing that, now more than twenty years later, the data still shows one in five BC children live in poverty.

We know that such a widespread problem requires policy changes and social investments from our provincial and federal governments. It’s a question of priorities, and the policy changes we propose can make a real difference to children and their families. The BC Child Poverty Report Card includes a list of recommendations that would make a real difference to the size and depth of BC’s child and family poverty problem.

The 2018 BC Child Poverty Report Card will be released on Tuesday, November 20, 2018.

“We depend on several reports, including First Call’s annual Child Poverty Report to provide accurate, up-to-date information to our congregation. Thank you First Call, for 20 years of hard, dedicated work advocating for BC children and their families.”

– Joanna Rainer, Vernon (May 2017)

It’s cold, my son is cold, I want to have the heat up but I can’t. You shouldn’t have to turn your heat off just to make sure you can pay your bill.

BL Larsen

2017 First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition

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First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition is a non-partisan coalition of over 100 provincial and regional organizations who have united their voices to put children and youth first in BC through public education, community mobilization and public policy advocacy.

Our Vision is that all BC’s children and youth have the rights, opportunities and resources required to thrive.